The Resurrection Stone
by Kiara the Human
Summary: It is one year after Harry, Ron and Hermione killed Lord Voldemort, and weird things are happening. When they are locked up in Azkaban, people are being murdered on the streets, or simply ... vanishing. Could the Death Eaters be behind it all?
1. Chapter 1

To say that Azkaban had seen better days would have been both misleading and a terrible lie. The Dementors now held an air of superiority and pretentiousness.

Anyone who was put into Azkaban was never let out, because there was simply no one willing enough to get them.

The cold grey sky loomed above the darkened building. The tower was a dark geometric building, tall and unyielding. Screams could be heard from within, piercing wails drowning the harsh wind that often whipped and lashed onto the prison. The Dementors flew just outside Azkaban, their flowing black capes concealing the scabby grey faces, only revealing themselves to suck out the soul of their victim, leaving them lifeless and empty...

Nigel Keif shuddered. He shrank to the corner of his cell. He had a shrunken and slightly unproportioned complexion, with a paunchy lower body and a small frame.

He scratched his bristly stubble and shivered as a rat scampered from under his legs.

There was silence.

his was unusual. A sound Nigel had became accustomed to was the screams of pain before a person died. It was different, more passionate and scared- and then it finished as soon as it started.

Nigel picked off a loose hangnail and flicked it into the seemingly eternal darkness. He was used to pain, in fact he so often tried to kill himself with the edges of the rusted gate restraining him he had become numb to it. He couldn't experience it any more. Part of him felt sentimental, sad, that this was what it came to.

Azkaban had cut him off from civilization so much that he was unattached to... _feelings. _

The silence was broken now. A high scream filled the air, a woman's voice. It sounded more angry and frustrated than pain, but there was something that peaked Nigel's attention. He sat up, frowning. Footsteps were coming closer and closer, four feet clapping against the cold hard floor. Suddenly the gate banged open, and Nigel backed himself up against the wall, hoping not to be seen. His breath was coming quickly now.

Two officers walked into the room, dragging the screaming woman in. It was nearly pitch black and Nigel had to strain his eyes to see, but he could make out her wild brown hair and tattered white clothing. She kicked and thrashed as they held her. Nigel flattened himself against the wall even more.

The woman was dragged into the centre of Nigel's cell, where the officers dropped her and slammed the door. Ragged sobs ripped from her throat as she sank to the mucky floor and pounded on it. Nigel stared, bewildered. Tentatively, he crept across the room towards her.

Her eyes shot up immediately, looking straight past him, terrified-

He never saw the green light.


	2. Chapter 2

The man was dead, there was no doubt about it.

Hermione could see the lifeless look in his eyes. It was something she was used to seeing, after the battle of Hogwarts. The empty lifeless eyes, the unbeating heart. _I hope they take him out before he starts to rot, _she thought.

Hermione stretched her arm out of the gates as far as she could. Looking out into the cold grey sky, it looked... free. _Freer than this cell, at least. _A single tear trailed down her cheek and even in the seemingly eternal darkness she brushed it away fiercely, hoping no one would see. But there was no one to see her cry.

And then there was.

The gate slammed open, and two young men were dragged into the centre of the cell and dropped. Hermione pulled back her arm immediately. She was nor afraid nor angry; on the contrary she was surprised. She ran towards them, helping them up, and then sat down beside them.

"-Harry, Ron_, what _are you doing here?"

Harry pushed back his fringe, but it was stuck firmly with sweat. "He's _back. Voldemort's back."_

Hermione gaped, and blinked several times. "Sorry- what?"

Ron spoke for the first time. "What are _you _doing here, Hermione?"

Hermione looked away and bit her lip. "I- I don't _know."_

They all stared at the floor awkwardly, twisting their fingers nervously in the dark.

"So- what... what happened?" Hermione said in a small voice.

Harry sighed. "Well- ever since we defeated Voldemort-"

"_Don't _say his name-"

"He's _dead, _Ron-" Hermione interjected exasperatedly.

"Anyway, since we defeated _You-Know-Who_," Harry repeated pointedly, "Apparently a small group of Death Eaters have been... well- I'll tell you from the beginning..."

* * *

><p>The party in Hogsmead was a sensation. People from all around the world came to celebrate the end of Voldemort and the Death Eaters. There was foaming Butterbeer, every single sweet you could imagine from Honeydukes, thousands of plates of food. Everyone was eating and drinking and partying. No one seemed to notice a hooded figure slip past the crowds and into the Shrieking Shack...<br>Draco Malfoy lifted his hood. A woman stood before him and Draco bowed deeply.

"Lestrange."

Bellatrix curled her lip. "Nephew."

Draco flicked a loose strand of silvery hair behind his ear.

Bellatrix suddenly looked haughty. She widened her eyes. "Well? Did you bring it?"

"Yes," Draco fumbled for something deep in his bag. "They think you are dead you know- that Molly Weasley killed you.."

Bellatrix made a noise that sounded half satisfactory, half irritated. "I guess I'll have to go into hiding then."

"Are you going to tell me how you did it?"

"No." She adopted her haughty tone once more.

"Well... here it is.." Draco held out in his hand a bronze pebble like object with sharp edges. It glinted gold in the pale moonlight. It was-

"The Resurrection Stone," Bellatrix breathed. Her eyes widened. "This is how..."

"When Potter went to the Forbidden Forest, he lost the Resurrection Stone in the forest. My mother came back and... we kept it. At Malfoy Manor.

"Fudge was sacked, and Scrimgeour is dead. We don't need to obey any orders. So..."

Bellatrix gaped. She stared into Draco's eyes. They were grey-blue and flecked with a slight gold tinge. "It means- that- that we can bring... the Dark Lord back."


	3. Chapter 3

"So, why did they throw you in there, though?" Hermione asked.

"Same as you. They probably wanted us out of the way. You know," Harry replied indifferently, but his voice quavering.

Ron stared out into the distance, but there was bitterness in his eyes. "They... they killed Kingsley, you know. Murder. It was L-Lucius."

They were silent now. The seriousness of what happened had just been said was to much to take in. Silent tears rolled down Harry's face, Hermione muffled sobs.

"That's why we were brought here. The Death Eaters are back in power. They don't just want us out of the way- they want... everyone in the Order... dead."

Ron finished equally as bitterly, his eyes swimming with tears. "You- You don't think they have Mum and Dad,do you?"

Hermione shook her head, but it was not that she knew, it was that she didn't to know. "We were so close," Her voice broke as she corrected herself, "We _killed _him, and now he's back-"

"-Coming back-"

"Its still the same _thing, _Ronald!" Hermione yelled. "Whether he's alive or dead, he's coming back, and we are trapped in Azkaban; there is _nothing _we can do about it! Everyone we love will die, Voldemort will come back- Oh Ron, toughen _UP! You _helped kill him, and you're still scared of his name-"

"I'm not scared of his name! I don't want my family to die!" Ron protested angrily.

"I know! I don't exactly _want _them to die either," Hermione raised her voice even louder, "But in _case _you didn't know, Harry's whole _family _is dead, and I had to _obliviate _mine! You think you're so special-" _  
><em>

"I'm not!" Ron shouted, his face red with rage, "My _brothers _just died, so excuse me if I can't be upset about it-"

"-I'm not saying tha-"

"Enough." Harry said quietly, silencing both of them. "Both of you, shut up. You are stuck here with each other for I don't _know _how long, so stop _shouting _at one another. You've only got the rest of you're lives," He added bitterly.

The trio stared outside wistfully, at the cold grey sky and pouring rain. The tower was gloomy and dark, but in a way it looked sort of ... beautiful.

"I mean, if you look at Azkaban beneath its horrible meaning, the infamous Dementors, then its not- not _that _bad... bad looking." Hermione whispered, her voice raw.

There was no reply from Harry nor Ron. The wind howled and cried as they all curled up on the musty, dirty floor trying to imagine they were somewhere else.


	4. Chapter 4

By dusk, The Malfoy Manor had approximately 200 guests.

The vast ball room was dimly lit and crowded by men and women. The floor was a clear marble which reflected the grand ceiling, which was a pale silver with a large white chandelier, which took up the majority of the room, both lengthways and sideways. Everyone was talking in hushed voices, as if they were afraid of anyone hearing them.

Soon enough, around 12 hooded figures descended the hallway. The women slid their hands down the banister with their right hand, and placed a hand on top of the mens hands with their other. The men held a chivalrous appearance, their heads held high as they surveyed the room below with pretentiousness. When the first pair got to the bottom, they took out their wands. They muttered a couple of words and their masks slid from their faces and vanished, and soon everyone was looking into the unsmiling faces of Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy.

Narcissa was wearing a long floor length dress, which was white, rimmed with black at the hems. Her hair hung loosely down her shoulders, a pale blond. She was wearing barely any makeup; the only exception was black lidded eyes. Lucius was wearing a black suit, rimmed white at its hems. His hair also hung past his shoulders, the same pale blond except his was flecked with silvery grey at the sides. He cleared his throat once; the whole room was silent.

"Will everyone proceed into the dining room," He said, his voice low and cold. But it wasn't a question, it was a command. As they shuffled into the dining room, the other 10 people wearing hoods revealed themselves and stood stationary at the staircase. One of them was Bellatrix Lestrange. She grasped the small stone tightly in her hand.

It was barely a surprise to find that the dining room was larger then the ballroom; the 200 people were easily able to fit in and all have a chair; in fact, the room was so spacious that everyone had around one metre between themselves. They settled almost immediately when Lucius and Narcissa entered.

"Now, I think you should all know why you're here-"

"-of course they know, Cissy, why else are they all here-"

"Thank you, Bella," Narcissa continued slowly, "We all have been in league with the Dark Lord. And in these times, we need _more than ever. _People _spit _on us on the street, laugh behind our backs- would they do that if the Dark Lord was still in power?"

The room was so silent that you could hear a pin drop.

"No." All heads swivelled towards Bellatrix, whose shoulders shrugged indifferently. "C'mon, think with this. _They aren't scared of us because The Dark Lord's dead. _When he was alive, they wouldn't come out of their _houses." _

A guest in a plain white suit held up his hand. "So why _did _you bring us here, then?"

"Why?" Bellatrix laughed, high and cold. "Why, Rosier? To bring him back."

Hundreds of gasps were heard throughout the room. Rosier trembled nervously when he next spoke.

"I'm sorry Bellatrix- when I am saying this my loyalty with The Dark Lord is _not _wavering- but- but-"

"But.. what?" Bellatrix interrupted, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"-but would it be... wise...? I mean, to bring him back? He could kill-"

"That's what happen to people when they are naughty," Bellatrix drawled. "They _die. _And you're not going to be naughty, are you, Evan?"

There was no reply.

"Then _leave." _Narcissa's voice was quiet. "Anyone who doesn't like this idea, they can _leave. _You'll be the first to die."

No one moved. After a minute, a smaller man crept silently out of the crowd. When he was out, he ran out of the door, slamming it violently.

"Never thought you'd leave us, Pettigrew," Avery said sarcastically. The whole room murmured with polite titters and catty remarks. He smirked.

Lucius spoke. "We have been keeping something in the very depths of the dungeons in Malfoy Manor for a _year _now. It is our only chance of getting Lord Voldemort back. Bellatrix,"

She handed him the stone, and Lucius held it up so everyone could see. "_The Resurrection Stone_!"

Whatever reaction they were hoping for, it was not this. People cowered in their seats as if they were afraid of the thing in itself. Or, per say, that Voldemort would appear right in front of them.

"We are not going to use it yet," Lucius said irritably, and several people sighed in relief, "Because we need more followers. When we have them, we have to be

_stronger _this time. Better. And then..."

"Harry Potter, Granger and Weasley are very much aware of this," Carrow spoke, "So they are now imprisoned in Azkaban. We have put everyone they hold dear in the dungeons below our feet. But we have decided on letting the three go, thinking all their family and friends are dead. It will break them. But they must believe they have the upper hand in this. So we need someone to help us with this, and when The Dark Lord is alive again, they will be honoured above all others. Who will carry out the most important task?"

Trembling, a dark haired man raised his hand.


	5. Chapter 5

Lucius smirked. "Thank you, Weasley." He handed him a small slim object covered in a light grey material.

"Imperious."

Arthur Weasley's eyes glazed over, and slid out of focus as he started speaking:

"Here is Arthur Weasley, a good example of a person under the Imperious Curse. He is to do as I ask whenever I want. Right now he is to remove Potter and his friends from Azkaban and take them to The Burrow. We will watch over what they do, and when the time comes, we will kill them, and help The Dark Lord rise to power."

Arthur's eyes un- glazed; he blinked several times and then walked out the door. It slammed shut. The Malfoy Manor looked bigger and more menacing than ever as darkness rapidly loomed over the building.

"Good." Bellatrix said quietly. She glared over at the crowd, glowering. They shrunk back. "Go home. Do not tell anyone you were here. Otherwise.. we _will _kill you."

* * *

><p>They were all sitting in silence when the door sprang open. The rusty gate clanged against the wall, and dirt piled up, polluting the air. Harry jumped to his feet, fumbling for his wand but then realising that he didn't have it. A tall figure rose upwards, hidden by dust.<p>

"Who's there?" Ron asked, coughing.

"I thought you would've been able to guess, Ronald," the man said warily.

"Dad!"

The three of them sprang up onto their feet. Whilst Ron embraced his father, Harry and Hermione stood back awkwardly, shuffling their feet. Arthur stiffly acknowledged the hug, and patted Ron on the back, almost immediately withdrawing, brushing himself off.

"Well- er- the Ministry decided that- well... I came and got you as soon as I could," he said quietly, and ushered them outside the cell.

They walked down the vast concrete floor in silence. The only sound that could be heard was the clapping of footsteps. They approached a small abandoned office, complete with a couple of armchairs, a coffee table and a fireplace.

"Hermione, you look _terrible!_" Ron exclaimed, as Arthur turned on a dim light. He was right- they all did. Hermione's face was riddled with cuts and bruises covering her face. Her hair was a tangled mane. Harry's right eye was swollen up so much it was pushing into his glasses, which threatened to crack- his lip was cut open and blood was dripping down his chin. Ron's robes were tattered and ripped. His leg was a purplish colour and he walked with a limp.

"All right." Arthur cleared his throat. "This fireplace is connected to the Floo Network for the first time in 50 years, so we probably should be a bit more... careful. Harry, you go first-"

Harry walked to the fireplace. "Where... where am I going?"

"The Burrow."

"The Burrow." Harry repeated, dropping the powder, which immediately burst into flames. Harry had only experienced travelling this way a handful of times, but each time he was always left breathless and overwhelmed (though not in a good way.) His stomach churned as he swept through the darkened tunnel. After a couple of minutes he was blown out forcefully by a powerful wind. He staggered blindly onto the floorboards of The Burrow before dark spots blurred his vision and he collapsed unconscious.


	6. Chapter 6

"D'you think he'll wake up soon? It's been three days already."

"George, cut him some slack. He's been in Azkaban for three _weeks. _I would've knocked myself out sooner or later."

_Three days, _Harry thought to himself. _I have to wake up. _But he couldn't. It felt like his eyes were sewn shut, being pulled together by an invisible string. He imagined slowly peeling back his eyelids and soon enough he was greeted by the blinding light of the warm afternoon sunrise. Crowded around him was Mrs Weasley, Ginny, George, Bill, Percy and Charlie. Arthur, Ron and Hermione were no where in sight, however.

Mrs Weasley pulled him into a tight hug. "Oh _Harry! _We thought you'd _never _wake up!"

Harry rubbed his sides, gasping. "I'm- I'm okay, Mrs Weasley. Where are Ron and Hermione?" He asked.

"Ron's asleep; I passed his bedroom on my way down." Ginny piped up helpfully.

"Yes dear, and Hermione's out in the garden, they are both fine," Mrs Weasley said. "I've got to go and make the dinner, you'll be eating in here until you're better, _yes?"_

"Mum, he'll be fine to come down," Charlie added. "Me and Bill checked him over this morning; he's clear from bruising and cuts, and we fixed his leg, but it'll be stiff and quite painful for the next couple of days. It broke," He added as an afterthought to Harry.

_How did my leg break from going through Floo Powder? _Harry thought to himself. But to Charlie, he just smiled gratefully.

Mrs Weasley thought otherwise. "No _way_ is he coming down with a broken leg! I won't let him- it's too dangerous. _Ginny, _you can bring food up to him when its ready."

"Sure." Ginny nodded. Mrs Weasley patted her on the shoulder affectionately and walked out the room.

When everyone could safely say she way downstairs, George laughed. "Because having a broken leg is _obviously _the worst thing that can happen to you, Harry of _all_ people." he said sarcastically. "And You-Know-Who is _nothing _compared to a broken leg, isn't he?"

Everyone in the room laughed guiltily. Eventually, George, Charlie and Bill went downstairs to make the table and it was only Harry and Ginny left.

"So what _did _happen, Harry? Dad said you'd been charged of something, but it was a set up. I don't _that's true," _Ginny added, cocking her head to one side. "So what happened? You know you can tell me."

Harry hesitated. She looked down at him and a loose tendril of bright red hair fell from behind her ear. Her big brown eyes looked large and innocent, longing for knowledge. Ginny touched his hand lightly and put her head onto the bed sheets, shifting into kneeling position. He couldn't tell her, she would be _crushed, terrified- _

"No." Harry said firmly. "No, but I can't Ginny. I'm sorry." He looked away.

She smiled gently at him. "You _can, _though. I won't tell. It can be a _secret,_" She whispered, brushing her hair out of her face.

"You don't understand," he said, "I really can't- just- please, believe your dads story. I won't tell you."

Ginny's eyes flashed dangerously. "_Why _not, then? Is it because I'm too _young, _too _naïve? _I'm only a year younger than you, you know."

"-Ginny-"

"Ginny what? Ginny, I can't tell you because I want to keep my adventures with Ron and Hermione a secret," She imitated him cruelly. "Ginny, I'm too _brave _for you, because that's how you broke up with me, wasn't it, because you wanted to carry on without me?"

"-Its not like that-" Harry protested.

"What is it _like, _then, Harry Potter? I'm not good enough for you one way or another," Her voice was slowly rising, "Well let me tell you three little words. _I DON'T CARE!" _Ginny flipped her hair behind her defiantly, and ran out of the room. Harry could hear her sobs from down the hall and she slammed her bedroom door shut. Then there was silence.

Ginny didn't come back that day to deliver his dinner. Arthur did. But he didn't come bursting in to question him about the argument between him and Ginny. But he came in quickly.


	7. Chapter 7

"Hello Mr Weasley," Harry sat upright in his bed. "Whats the matter?"

Mr Weasley sat on the foot of the opposite bed rather stiffly. "Harry. I need to speak to you about these urgent matters-"

Harry frowned, not because of the _urgent matters, _but because of Mr Weasley's peculiar behavior. He was acting strange, but there was something he couldn't quite put his finger on...

"We, the Ministry, have er," he cleared his throat, "decided on some... _arrangements. _I would like to thank you deeply for helping us defeat The Dark Lord- You-Know-Who- of course...er-" He looked immediately shifty.

"We brought you out of Azkaban to er- _relocate _you. To the Malfoy Manor."

"What?" Harry was appalled. "You _hate _the Malfoy's- you- you always said so- _why are you doing this? _Surely you aren't on their _side, _are you?"

"The Ministry has no sides." Mr Weasley said placidly. "We shall put you in the dungeons until further notice."

"What about Ron? _Ron- _He's your son- what kind of cruel-"

"You will do as I say." Mr Weasley said firmly. "_T__he_ _Ministry has no sides."_

Harry stared at him. "You mean- you were behind this when they threw us in Azkaban? How- how could you?" he almost yelled. "I _trusted _you!"

Mr Weasley stared at a point in the distance. "Then you were mislead."

Harry narrowed his eyes at the man. "Who _are _you? I know Arthur Weasley. He's not you." He shook his head in disbelief.

"I value my job. I care for my son, but I have to think of my job as well." He didn't sound caring at all.

"_Malfoy._" Harry hissed.

Mr Weasley's head snapped up. "What?" He looked alert. "What- did you say?"

"It's you, Lucius Malfoy. I know it is you controlling Mr Weasley. _Let him go._"

"No." He said simply.

"Please," Harry said desperately.

A scream ripped raw from Arthur's throat. He was panting, breathing hard and rapidly sweating. "Go- Harry- Imperious Curse- they will get you- save yourself-"

"-Mr Weasley!" Harry yelled. He sprang out of bed and grasped his shoulders. "_What's going on?"_

"It's true- all the stories are true- its the Malfoy's- they'll kill me when they get here- they could apparate at any second- _run- _you must save yourself- get the others- please-"

"No- come with me-"

"You can't save me, Harry." Arthur said calmly. "I'm a dead weight. If you save me, you'll kill the others. Please go. _Please protect them."_

Harry glanced at Mr Weasley one last time and bounded out the room. His leg was painful, but he didn't care. He wrenched open Ginny's door, and grasped her by the wrist.

"What are you doing, Harry?" Ginny yelled furiously.

"Just _come!" _Harry shouted, racing ahead. When they got to the kitchen, Hermione and Ron were also in the room. They all ran outside to the garden on Harry's command. Darkness filled the sky, fire swirling in every direction and Death Eaters swooping downwards.

"_Under here!" _Hermione screamed. They all ran under a secluded shack and slammed the door shut.

"What- just- happened?" Ron panted.

"Death Eaters." Harry said simply. Then his eyes widened. "_Arthur._"

He ran as fast as he could out of the shed and into the house. He grabbed the door to his room and wrenched it open but it was too late. There was no sign of Mr Weasley. He stood still and shook his head. His eyes pooled with tears. Harry looked out of the window and stifled a gasp. The Death Eaters were flying away, but the sky was still dark. Mrs Weasley was sobbing on Charlie's shoulder, and Hermione had her arms wound around Ron, who's shoulders were shaking.

The Dark Mark was imprinted on top of the Burrow.

**End of Part One**


	8. Chapter 8

**Part Two**

**[AN: This is a week after Arthur's death and the scene is Grimmauld Place.]**

There was silence as the family leaned on the long, rickety table. Grimmauld place wasn't how they remembered it at all. Maybe it was because of the great hospitality given to them by Sirius was gone. Maybe Mundungus had been scavenging. It wasn't a _bad _atmosphere, it was just not very pleasant without Mr Weasley. The Weasley family were mainly in shock; excluding Mrs Weasley. She was lying with her head on the table, limp and dead looking. Small sobs were supplied from her chest, quiet and distressing. The only person not to be seen at the table was Ginny; she had excused herself moments before.

'We lost Fred last month... now _Arthur..._' Mrs Weasley sniffed. Ron pattered her head gingerly and she howled into his jumper. Ron, bewildered, shuffled away slightly, his ears red. He took this opportunity to speak to Harry.

'_Why, _though? He let them take his life to save ours- I don't get why he did that-'

Harry glared at his friend. 'What do you _think, _Ron? If _you _were put under the Imperious Curse and when you finally broke through it you knew the Death Eaters were coming after you, would you take that chance to save your family or escape on the off chance that the Death Eaters wouldn't kill you and your loved ones? He was being brave.'

'-But _why _did they use him though?' Ron asked, frustrated. Hermione rolled her eyes, signalling towards the door. Harry nodded gratefully at her.

'I'm going out. I need some air.' He got up and walked out through the long corridor. When he got outside, he noticed Ginny was also- at the end of the road sitting on the unkempt grass next to the old lamp post which shined a dim light onto her back. She turned around when she heard him approaching, and they sat together, cross legged, their knees touching.

'D'you think he's- dead?' Ginny asked. Harry's stomach did an uneasy turn. He did not want to think of his fate. Instead, he looked away.

'I'm- I'm sorry for pestering you- last week. I... I just wanted to be a part.' Ginny stared at the ground, her cheeks burning.

'Voldemort's going to return.' Harry said bitterly. Ginny's reaction was not expected- she simply looked at him silently. 'That'swhy we were put in Azkaban. The Ministry was overrun by Death Eaters. That's why Mr Weasley d-' He fell silent.

'I wan't to help you.'

Harry's head whipped round and gaped at her. She looked at him defiantely, her eyes blazing.

'Ginny-'

'-I'm not going to stand around not knowing if you're dead or not. I want to help this time. You can't stop me, Harry.' She smiled at him ruefully.

'Ginny, I don't want you to get _hurt. _If you die, I'll think its my fault. I don't want to lose you.'

'I don't want to lose you, either, Harry, but do you want Hermione and Ron to die? Of course not. They'll come with you no matter what. I'm coming, Harry. Goodnight.' She kissed him on the cheek and walked inside silently.


	9. Chapter 9

"Hermione, can I come in?" Ron knocked on the tall brass door. A small squeak transpired from within, and Ron took this as a good sign to open it.

Hermione looked terrible; her face a bright shade of red, except her forehead which was a pale purplish colour. She wasn't crying, but she evidently was beforehand as her eyes were red splotches. She sniffed and covered her face when she saw Ron, who was looking at her with a mix of both sympathy and revulsion.

"Hermione, are you _okay_?" Ron stared at her, and quicker than the human eye could follow, she raced across the room and flung her arms around his neck.

"-Oh Ron- I- don't- want- to- _do- _this again...-" She burst into a fresh state of tears. "Loads of people- could be- _dead- will- _be _dead-"_

Ron disattached himself from Hermione and wiped her tears away with his thumb. "Its going to be okay, you just need to stay strong. We can get through this, and defeat him again." It sounded strange in his mouth, unreal, like a story, because he never thought he would have to mention it for the rest of his life. Or for a while, anyway.

"-But- _what if we don't kill him again?" _Hermione voiced his thought, the thought he had been pushing away from the back of his mind for days, like it would go away if he didn't pay any attention to it. He didn't answer her, but looked to the ground with a determined glare as not to look at her, but he couldn't bear the silence, unanswered questions lingering in the air-

"Ron." Hermione tilted his chin up so he was facing her. "Ron, what if-"

"-Don't." His eyes pleaded with hers. "We don't have to think about it- for a while. Please, Mione, just don't _think._"

Hermione didn't say anything, instead, she drew closer and pressed her lips to Ron's. It was gentle, but captivating, and as they closed their eyes the rest of the world disappeared.

"I'm sorry," whispered Hermione. "I won't think about it."

Ron pulled her closer, his hands sliding across her cheeks and through her hair. They both were overcome with sad emotion that had nothing to do with the fact that Voldemort was dead; it was the fact that they had been friends for over eight years and were only on their second kiss. As their lips pulled apart, a gentle breeze fluttered over the tender flame, extinguishing the heat, and the rest of the world slowly came back into focus.

"No, it's okay-" Ron moved away. "We're gonna have to talk about it at some point- Hermione, we've just got to be brave."

"It's not only me you know." Hermione said gently. "You're afraid, too. I can see it in your eyes. You can let your guard down, sometimes. It won't make you weak."

"I- I guess so-" he looked away. "But it won't stop me thinking about it."

There was a moments silence and then Harry and Ginny walked in. They straightened up and looked at Hermione and Ron. Harry was the first one to speak.

"We're leaving this tonight. Pack your stuff."

Hermione rushed to her suitcase and bustled to collect her clothes together whilst Ron looked at Ginny with a mixture of surprise and disgust. "Ginny, you've got to go, you don't know what Harry is talking about, its nothing-"

She grinned at him widely, her teeth gleaming against the open windows evening sky.

"Oh, no, dearest brother. _I'm coming with you._"


	10. Chapter 10

Hermione stared miserably out of the window. They were on the train, but the countryside was quickly flicking past and she could see people out in the fields, doing their jobs. She stared guiltily at her wand as she flicked it around in her hand, wishing she could help them. But there was something comforting about watching people in their lives, trying to think of what they were like. It made her feel like a _narrator _in some senses, that she could describe these people without it actually being necessarily true.

'Where exactly are we _going_?'

Ginny was asleep. She looked at Harry and Ron, but they were immersed in conversation.

'Its a bit like our first day at Hogwarts, isn't it?' Hermione said. Harry and Ron looked up and grinned.

'D'you remember? Me and Harry were in our carriage and you came in told me I had dirt on my nose and that my wand skills were-'

'-_Terrible. _Because they were! Sunshine, Daises, Buttermellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow. I mean,' Hermione added, 'are you _sure _that's a spell? Well-'

'-_It's not a very good one, then, is it?' _Harry and Ron said in unison, roaring with laughter. 'That's what you said the first time.'

Hermione smiled. 'Yes, I remember. I was looking for Neville's Toad. And I agree with my past-self,' she said, 'it was _bad._'

'Whasgoinon- Oh. Hello Hermione,' Ginny said groggily. 'Was I asleep for long?'

'Not that long, just go to sleep,' Ron said rather unsympathetically, but within seconds she was snoring.

The three sighed wistfully.

'In a way, I wish we were going there _now._' Harry admitted. 'Its a lot more cheerful than- you know... where we are going.'

'Erm, Hermione and Ron,' Harry said. 'If we were to- er- get _seperated_ during this _trip- _then, er, I want to say something to both of you.

'You are both the best friends that I could ever have. I mean, losing your whole family isn't something that helps a lot, is it? And your friendship has given me something that I can never repay, even throughout a lifetime. So I just want to say- t_hanks._'

'Oh Harry,' Hermione smiled. 'True friendship is not about being inseperable. It is about being seperated and nothing happens. If one of us-_dies_- it will hurt like _hell_ but at least we knew each other. I love you both. More than _anything._'

They smiled awkwardly and nodded at the floor. Because now, even on their dangerous and perilous journey, _nothing _could get between them from now on- from Lavender Brown to Lord Voldemort.


End file.
